Series 6
Steve Asquith |producer(s) = Phil Fehrle |composer(s) = Mike O'Donnell & Junior Campbell Robert Hartshorne & Ed Welch |narrator(s) = Michael Angelis Alec Baldwin Michael Brandon |no_of_episodes = 26 |released = 16 September - 21 October 2002 |previous = Series 5 |next = Series 7 |production_company = Gullane Entertainment }} The '''sixth series' of Thomas & Friends first aired on television in September 2002 in the UK. Michael Angelis and Alec Baldwin narrated the twenty-six episodes for the UK and US respectively. Angelis also narrated two episodes for the US release of New Friends for Thomas and Other Adventures. Angelis and Michael Brandon later re-dubbed six episodes along with music composed by Robert Hartshorne for the US on PBS Kids and the UK for Nick Jr. in 2005. Production After the critical and commerical flop of Thomas and the Magic Railroad, BrittBritt AllcroftAllcroft was forced to step down stand down as both deputy chairman and director of the company, only to retain sharing responsibilities and become Executive Producer. On the other hand, David Mitton turned over as a camera operator and a script consultant for all script writers during production. Phil Ferhle took the liberty in creating the first Thomas & Friends spin-off - Jack and the Sodor Construction Company directed by Steve Asquith. Episodes 7 and 8 were to be the gateway to the 26 episodic series but it was quicky cancelled following the acquisition of HiT Entertainment, not to mention financial difficulties. However, 13 of the 26 episodes were eventually released on DVD in 2006. Episodes Songs * James the Really Splendid Engine * Little Engines * Down by the Docks * Winter Wonderland * Boo! Boo! Choo-Choo * Never, Never, Never Give Up Characters * Thomas * Edward * Henry * Gordon * James * Percy * Toby * Duck * Donald and Douglas * Bill and Ben * Diesel * Mavis * 'Arry and Bert * Skarloey * Rheneas * Peter Sam * Duncan * Rusty * Bertie * Trevor * Harold * Cranky * Sir Topham Hatt * Harold's Pilots * Stephen Hatt * Stepney * Annie and Clarabel * Henrietta * Terence * Jem Cole * Farmer Finney * The Lighthouse Keeper * The Railway Board * Oliver * George * Butch * Tiger Moth * Big Mickey * Bridget Hatt * Dowager Hatt * Mrs. Kyndley * Farmer Trotter * Refreshment Lady * Nancy * Tom Tipper * The Storyteller * The Special Visitor * The Tailor * One of the stone-dropping boys * The Dryaw Policeman * One Member of the Elsbridge Cricket Club * Bulgy * BoCo * Sir Handel * Duke * Toad * Bulstrode * Percy's Ghost Engine * Rusty's Ghost Engine * Father Christmas * The Barber * The Quarry-master * The Portly Man * Boulder * Bertram Characters Introduced * Harvey * Salty * Elizabeth * Jack * Alfie * Oliver * Max * Kelly * Byron * Ned * Isobella * Jenny Packard * The Foreman * Cyril the Fogman * Allicia Botti * The Coaling Plant Manager * The Vet * Headmaster Hastings * Farmer McColl * Edward's Ghost Engine * The Fisherman * The Dockyard Manager * The Captain * Mr. Jolly Trivia * This was the first series of several things: ** The first series filmed in 16:9 widescreen. However, most of the first six episodes were matted from full screen, but whenever they use Tidmouth Sheds, The Seaside Village, Tidmouth Beach and the church for locations, the scenes are filmed in widescreen. ** Phil Fehrle's first series as producer. ** Peter Urie's first series as executive producer. ** The first series to have a writing team. ** The first time Robin Kingsland, Paul Larson, Abi Grant, James Mason, Brian Trueman, Robyn Charteris and Jenny McDade wrote episodes for the series. ** Abi Grant's first series as script editor. ** The first series to feature Steve Asquith as a director until the eighth series and Jack and the Sodor Construction Company series. ** The first series to have more than two narrators. ** The first series not dubbed in German, Greek and Portuguese. ** The first series to use a Proteus 3 and Virtuoso 2000 to compose the music. ** The first series to premiere on Nick Jr. in the UK. ** The first series since the third to appear on CiTV, marking the television series' return to terrestrial television. ** The first series to see incomplete episodic VHS releases in Australia. ** The first series not to feature Wellsworth since its introduction in the first series. ** The first series in which Thomas does not appear in the finale . This is also the only series until the eleventh where he does not appear in the finale . ** The first series where Sir Topham Hatt says "confusion and delay," though the second to feature the phrase because the narrator and other characters said it in two fifth series episodes. ** Kate Buckland's first series as editor. * This was the last series of several things as well: ** The last series to feature the old Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends logo in the intro. ** The last series to have all of the episodes use the original music in the US. (Although, seven episodes from the seventh series used the original music for each video only on New Friends for Thomas and Other Adventures and Thomas and the Jet Engine and Other Adventures). ** Britt Allcroft's third and last series as executive producer. She would be a script consultant in the seventh series. ** Alec Baldwin's last series as narrator. ** The last series filmed by Gullane Entertainment prior to its acquisition by HiT Entertainment in 2002. * This series had the most narrators in it out of all series to date. * From this series onwards, all stories were written by individuals on a writing staff. * In 2005, Michael Brandon and Michael Angelis re-dubbed six episodes, No Sleep for Cranky, A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter, James and the Red Balloon, Gordon Takes a Tumble, Toby Had a Little Lamb and Edward the Very Useful Engine, with music composed by Robert Hartshorne on PBS Kids in the US and Nick Jr. in the UK, to make them series eight-styled when they chose episodes from this series for reruns. * This series was broadcast on Nick Jr. in the UK in late 2002, before airing on CiTV in early 2003. * On masters of episodes that feature the Gullane endboard, Britt Allcroft is credited as executive producer alongside Peter Urie. On masters that end with either the Nick Jr. UK or HiT Entertainment endboard, Britt Allcroft is not mentioned in the end credits at all. * This is the only series of several things: ** The only series with its own special intro. ** The only model series to have more than one director. ** The only series until Mark Moraghan's narration of the thirteenth series episode, Snow Tracks to have three narrators. ** The only series in which Thomas does not speak in the premiere. ** The only series to have Jonathan Trueman, Phil Fehrle and Ross Hastings as part of the writing team (not counting Jack and the Sodor Construction Company). ** The only time Simon Nicholson wrote episodes for the series until the tenth series. de:Staffel 6 es:Temporada 6 he:העונה השישית ja:第6シーズン pl:Seria 6 ru:Сезон 6 zh:第6季 Category:Thomas & Friends Category:Series